Baseball game



T.BURGESS BASEBALL GAME Filed May 5', 1950 HVVENTOR AMM F ig. 2

BY zgalzafegidz ATTORNEY i atented July 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE H Y I 1 2,645,489' 1 V BASEBALL GAME Thomas Burgess, New Bedford, Mass. Application May 5,1950, Serial No. 160,254 3Claims. (crews-90) The present invention relates to games for home use, and has particular reference to a novel baseball game.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a home baseball game which can be played by two or more persons, and which simulates the pitching and batting strategy of an actual game.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism in a home baseball'game for selectively changing the speed and the path of the ball as it passes over the home plate, the mechanism 'being controlled by the player who is pitcher at the time.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in View, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative game board embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the top being removed to disclose the ball control mechanism.

It has been found desirable to provide a home baseball game which includes a pitching control simulating the control in an actual game. To this end, I provide a playing board which is a miniature replica of an actual playing field, and which has a manually movable bat at home plate and a baseball projection device for guiding a ball over the home plate, the board having pockets positioned at the usual positions of the fielders and slots with movable targets for receiving a batted ball. I have also provided control mechanism for the pitcher to shift the ball to either side as it reaches the batter, thus permitting the pitcher to throw a straight ball, an incurve or an outcurve, as desired.

Referring to the drawings, the board is preferably of square form, and about thirty inches in length and width so that it will seat on a card table or the like; The board is hollow, with an upper face I I marked to simulate a baseball field, including a home plate I2, bases l3, an infield l4, and an outfield l5, the field being enclosed by an upstanding rim or fence It.

The positions of the fielders are indicated by cups or receptacles l1 into which a batted ball may enter, for an automatic out. The far sides I8, IQ of the fence are provided with edge slots 20, 21 which have spacer tabs 22 to provide pockets 23 for receiving a batted ball, the pockets having pivoted weighted targets which swing when the associated pocket receives a batted ball, and which have insignia specifying a one base hit, a two base hit, a three base hit and a homer respectively. A batted ball which enters a pocket is returned to the pitcher as hereinafter described, but it is preferred that a ball batted into a cup or receptacle be manually removed therefrom.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a mechanism is pro vided to selectively change the course of the ball as it passes over the home plate 12, comprising a permanent magnet 24 which is preferably-of U-shape, with the legs positioned directly under the line from the pitchers box to the home plate, the magnet being mounted on a movable rod 25 which seats in spaced bearing blocks 26."

One end of the rod 25 is connected to one lever 21, a bell crank 28 which is mounted on thelower portion 29 of the board l0, and an operating rod 30 which is connected to the other lever 3! of the bell crank and extends through the rear wall of the board and has a terminal knob 32 which may be manipulated by the pitcher to swing the magnet to one side or the other of the home plate.

The ball 33 is of steel, and may be either solid or hollow, as preferred, and is delivered through a direction tube 34 to roll over the home plate. A /8" steel ball has been found suitable for this purpose. The direction tube may be pivotally mounted for a slight swinging movement to cut the corners of the home plate, and is slightly tilted upwardly at the outer end so that a reasonable speed of movement is imparted to the ball. If desired, a spring plunger of standard type, not shown, may be placed on the outer tube end to snap the ball out.

A bat 35 has a manually graspable handle 36 which is swingingly mounted on a trunnion 3! at one side of the home plate, a second trunnion 38 being positioned at the other side of the home plate so that a right or left hand batter may face the pitcher. As the ball is hit, it may land in a receptacle for an out, or in a pocket for a hit, the ball dropping through the slot at the bottom of the pocket after tilting an insignia target, into a right angle runway 39 which extends along the sides and is sloped to carry the ball to a corner 40 adjacent the pitcher.

It is clear that the ball willproceed directly towards the home plate, but may be controlled so as to curve to the right or left as it passes over the home plate, to thus simulate actual pitching.

Although I have described a specific arrangement of parts and a specific means for obtain- 3 ing a shifting magnetic field in the path of the ball, it is obvious that changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts, and in the creation of a controlled movable magnetic field for the purpose described may be made to comply with different game requirements, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the claims as appended hereto.

I claim:

l. A baseball game, comprising a board having markings for an infield, an outfield, bases, and a home plate, a manually operated batting device swingingly mounted and positioned on one side of the home plate, means including a direction device for directing a steel ball to normally roll over said home plate, spaced bearings positioned below said board, a magnet support slidably mounted in said bearings, a magnet secured to said support and positioned beneath the board contiguous to and slightly in advance of the home plate and on the line between home plate and the direction device, and manual means for moving the magnet support to shift the magnet in a direction transverse to said line between home plate and the direction device.

2. A baseball game, comprising a board having markings for an infield, an outfield, bases, and a home plate, a manually operated batting device swingingly mounted and positioned on one side of the home plate, means including a direction device for directing a steel ball to normally roll over said home plate, spaced bearings positioned below said board, a rod slidably mounted in said bearings, a magnet secured to said rod and positioned beneath the board contiguous to and slightly in advance of the home plate and or; the line between home plate and the direction device, and manual means for moving the magnet rod, including a bell crank operatively connected to one end of said rod, and a pull lever operatively connected to said bell crank.

3. A baseball game, comprising a board having markings for an infield, an outfield, bases, and ahome plate,'a manually operated batting device swiri'gingly mounted and positioned on one side of the home plate, means including a direction device for directing a steel ball to normally roll over said home plate, spaced bearings positioned below said board, a rod slidably mounted in said bearings, a magnet secured to said rod and positioned beneath the board contiguous to and slightly in advance of the home plate and on the line between home plate and the direction de vice, and manual means for moving the magnet rod, including a bell crank operatively connected to one end of said rod, and a pull lever operatively connected to said bell crank and positioned in line with the direction device.

THOMAS BURGESS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,586,315 Luckenbill May 25, 1926 1,648,956 Meade Nov. 15, 1927 1,965,140 Fleak July 3, 1934 2,003,145 Grauer May 28, 1935 2,184,867 Williams et al Dec. 26, 1939 2,230,743 Davis Feb. 4, 1941 2,382,329 Munro Aug. 14, 1945 

